It is an employer’s prerogative to decide wages; however, they should reveal this information beforehand.

During a brief stint of unemployment earlier this year, I was quickly reminded of the scarcity of professional jobs in our region, as well as how bleak the job market is.

While applying for numerous jobs and going on several interviews, I was also reminded that the starting wages offered by many employers in our region are far below the average rate offered by employers in most other regions in Maryland.

On two particular occasions, I unnecessarily wasted several hours of my time, as well as a significant amount of money on gas, only to discover the open positions I applied and interviewed for paid a mere $10 per hour. The requirements for both positions included several years of experience in addition to a college degree – yet all these companies were willing to dish out is $10 per hour?

This amounts to a measly buck an hour more than the starting pay McDonald’s in Berlin offers to high school kids with zero work experience.

In many cases, these are small business struggling to stay afloat that can only afford to offer low wages. This is understandable, but they should disclose this information so jobseekers have an opportunity to determine whether they are willing to spend time applying for the job.

However, in many other cases these companies are successful and profitable, yet opt to pay low wages. These particular employers are fully aware the Eastern Shore region has one of the highest unemployment rates in Maryland. They recognize they have the upper hand and realize the vulnerability of our residents. Sadly, many job applicants will accept such positions out of desperation.

Employers seeking to fill open positions need to be more respectful of job applicants, taking into consideration the enormous amount of time spent applying and interviewing. Between the initial process of preparing a cover letter and submitting a resume, the correspondence afterward, travel time to and from the interview, and the interview time itself, this can equate to several hours.

It is an employer’s prerogative to decide how to compensate employees. However, if they are going to offer sub-par wages, they should reveal this crucial information beforehand rather than withholding it until the conclusion of an interview.

Revealing this figure would not only avoid wasting an applicant’s time and money, but would also avoid wasting the interviewer’s time and the company’s money. While an interviewer is on the clock earning money during every second of an interview, the interviewee is not; his or her irreplaceable time is tick-tocking away – valuable time that could have otherwise been spent productively or doing something enjoyable.

While low wages are expected and acceptable to some jobseekers who are young or have little work experience, many who have families to support would prefer to spend it seeking jobs offering wages that meet their financial needs.

Andy Berges is a freelance writer who lives with his wife and children in Berlin.